REVEAL: Process Evaluation Report on Culturally Responsive Research

Researching the Value of Educator Actions for Learning (REVEAL) is an NSF-funded research project, led by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in collaboration with TERC and Oregon State University (OSU), which studied the impact of science center staff facilitation strategies at math exhibits. Building on and using exhibits from Design Zone—an interactive math exhibition which engaged visitors in exploring algebraic relationships and functions—the study was designed to add to the scant existing literature about the impact of staff facilitation on visitors. The study also aimed to identify effective staff facilitation strategies for supporting family engagement and learning at math exhibits.

The research consisted of two phases. In the first phase, the OMSI team led a qualitative design-based research (DBR) study using two educators to collaboratively develop and refine effective staff facilitation strategies and to identify the factors that influence interactions and outcomes. Using the facilitation model developed in the first phase, the team then trained four additional educations on the REVEAL facilitation approach and conducted a quasi-experimental study—with 263 groups—to compare the outcomes of family learning and engagement at Design Zone exhibits with, and without, facilitation by educators. Interactions were videotaped and visitors completed a survey immediately following the interaction. Data were analyzed for evidence of family learning and engagement, including visitor satisfaction, level of intergenerational communication, awareness of the mathematics in the exhibit, and depth of mathematical reasoning.

Cecilia Garibay of Garibay Group conducted a process evaluation to document and assess the extent to and ways in which the research team experienced themselves as growing in their diversity awareness and competence.